An amazing breakthrough

Anna Nathanson

One of the wonderful things about working with people we support is the extraordinary breakthroughs they make, both big and small. Here we share the heart-warming story of Diane Danby, supported in Kingsway, County Durham...

Diane is always smiling and has a wicked sense of humour. Tragically, a horrendous traffic accident at the age of nine left her with a brain injury and very limited speech. She can sometimes follow and mimic what is said, making very small sounds, and you can just about hear the words she is speaking.

Diane lived at home until she reached her early thirties, when her parents were no longer able to care for her, and for the past ten years she has been supported around the clock by United Response. Staff at Kingsway have always actively encouraged Diane to speak, and they talk to her all the time.

The words she always wanted to hear

“One thing Diane’s mother Olwyn always wanted her to say was the word ‘mum’, which she never said; she just used to laugh when her mum said it,” explains team manager Dawn Baker.

It was her key worker Jean Sutherland who finally managed to get Diane to say what her mum had waited for so many years to hear. "I just used to say the word over and over to Diane," says Jean. "The key was repetition. I would constantly say, 'Your mum is coming, what are you going to say to her?' and then one day, on a visit home, Diane whispered 'Hello mam.'"

"It was like a miracle"

“I just cried as I was so delighted,” says mum Olwyn. “She now says it whenever we see each other. I’d lost hope of her ever saying those words, so it really was like a miracle.”

When a Service Manager in Darlington heard that someone she supports loved ponies as a child, she arranged for therapy ponies to visit. Little did she know the little horses would brighten up the lives of many others.

Easy News is the first news magazine designed to be accessible for people with learning disabilities, aimed to encourage discussion around news stories and keep readers informed about the world around them. Read the latest issue here.

Become a support worker for United Response and help disabled people in their communities at home. You’ll help them cook, clean, pay bills, apply for jobs, make friends and a thousand things in between.

We work with young people and adults with a wide range of learning disabilities across England and Wales. To plan the right kind of support, we work closely with each individual and the people who are important to them. In this way, they get the support they want, in the way they want.

ROC (Robert Owen Communities) has Wellbeing services in Devon and Cornwall, which we can support you to attend. ROC’s Wellbeing services offers you the opportunity to learn new and exciting skills and gain accredited learning qualifications at the same time.